Taiwan detects 18 Chinese aircraft, 7 vessels, 1 ship around itself

Taipei [Taiwan], November 8 (ANI): Taiwan's Ministry of National Defence detected 18 Chinese military aircraft, seven naval vessels and one official ship operating around its territorial waters as of 6 am (local time) on Saturday.

As per the MND, of the 18, 10 sorties crossed the median line and entered Taiwan's northern, southwestern and eastern ADIZ.

In a post on X, the MND said, "18 PLA aircraft, 7 PLAN vessels and 1 official ship operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC 8) today. 10 out of 18 sorties crossed the median line and entered Taiwan's northern, southwestern and eastern ADIZ. We have monitored the situation and responded."

Earlier on Friday, Taiwan detected 38 sorties of Chinese military aircraft and nine vessels. Of the 38, 31 sorties crossed the median line and entered Taiwan's northern, central and southwestern ADIZ.

In a post on X, the MND said, "38 sorties of PLA aircraft and 9 PLAN vessels operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC 8) today. 31 out of 38 sorties crossed the median line and entered Taiwan's northern, central and southwestern ADIZ. We have monitored the situation and responded."

The median line in the Taiwan Strait serves as an unofficial boundary between Taiwan and China, but Beijing has increasingly violated it in recent years as part of its pressure campaign against Taipei.

The latest military movements come amid heightened tensions in the Taiwan Strait, as Beijing continues to conduct near-daily operations around the self-ruled island.

Earlier this week, US President Donald Trump warned China against any military aggression toward Taiwan, saying Beijing "knows the consequences" of such an action.

In an interview with CBS after meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping, Trump said, "You'll find out if it happens, and he understands the answer to that. This never even came up yesterday as a subject... he understands it very well."

Trump declined to reveal his strategy on a potential Taiwan conflict and insisted China "understands what will happen" if it attempts any aggression.

He added, "I can't give away my secrets. I don't want to be one of these guys who tells you exactly what's going to happen if something happens. The other side knows, but I'm not somebody who tells you everything because you're asking me a question, but they understand what's going to happen." (ANI)

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